1. Field
Embodiments are related to an image fixing apparatus having enhanced durability and an image forming apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an apparatus to print an image onto a printing medium. Examples of such an image forming apparatus include a printer, a copier, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction device combining two or more functions of the above-mentioned apparatuses.
In an image forming apparatus using electrophotography, an electrostatic latent image may be formed on the surface of a photosensitive body charged with a predetermined electric potential by emitting light onto the photosensitive body. Toner may be supplied onto the electrostatic latent image to form a visible image. The visible image formed on the photosensitive body may be directly transferred to a printing medium or transferred to the printing medium via an intermediate transfer member. The visible image transferred to the printing medium may be fixed to the printing medium as the printing medium passes through an image fixing apparatus.
The image fixing apparatus generally includes a fixing belt provided with a roller or a belt, and a pressing member to closely contact the fixing belt to form a fixing nip. When the printing medium having a transferred toner image is introduced into the gap between the fixing belt and the pressing member, the toner image may be fixed to the printing medium by the heat transferred to the fixing belt and the pressure applied at the fixing nip.
In determining the quality of an image printed onto a printing medium, gloss and gloss uniformity of a printing medium with a fixed toner image may be important factors. To achieve high gloss and gloss uniformity, high fixing pressure may need to be applied around the fixing nip formed between the fixing belt and the pressing member, and a uniform width of the fixing nip may need to be provided and maintained.